Incident · 1991-10-28

NTSB case LAX92IA027 · MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10-10 · Part 121

What the record says

Event date: 1991-10-28
Event type: Incident
Highest injury level: No injuries
Aircraft: MCDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10-10 (N1820U)
Operating rule: Part 121
Operator: UNITED AIRLINES, INC. Operator named in NTSB report
Operated by (per NTSB report): UNITED AIRLINES

Probable cause

RUPTURE OF A FORWARD PRESSURE BULKHEAD BECAUSE OF CYCLICALLY INDUCED METAL FATIGUE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCIDENT WERE: THE OPERATOR'S DECISION NOT TO STRUCTURALLY MODIFY ITS AIRPLANE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S BUT RATHER TO RELY ON THE MANUFACTURER'S ALTERNATIVE RECOMMENDATION OF PERFORMING REPETITIVE VISUAL INSPECTION IN THE SUSPECT AREA: AND THE OPERATOR'S FAILURE TO UTILIZE AN INSPECTION PROGRAM ADEQUATE TO VISUALLY DETECT CRACK DEVELOPMENT IN A PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED SUSPECT AREA.

Source: NTSB case LAX92IA027

Flight crew

Flight-crew details for this event aren't in the NTSB database extract we hold (its coverage starts with 2008 events) — a gap in our data, not an absence of crew.

Facts as the NTSB records them — GroundCheck adds no judgement. Preliminary records may be revised as the investigation proceeds.

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